Laser in CMOS for datacenter interconnects and long-haul systems at data rates of 100-Gbits per second

Skorpios Technologies, Inc., an innovator in silicon photonic technology, announced a demonstration of a full C-band tunable CMOS photonic laser manufactured in a commercial foundry utilizing its proprietary STAB process. The application of this wafer scale integration process results in a photonic CMOS Integrated Circuit (IC) that is planar and hermetically encapsulated. Additionally, the Skorpios CMOS laser IC does not require any costly post-fabrication assembly processes such as flip-chip bonding, turning mirrors, lenses or active alignments. Characterization of the initial devices demonstrates that the laser performance is appropriate for applications from datacenter interconnects to the highest performance coherent long-haul systems supporting data rates exceeding 100 Gbps. Performance benefits of the laser include narrow linewidth, high side mode suppression, wide tuning range and no requirement for active cooling or hermetic packaging.

Skorpios delivering the first tunable laser based on its novel process which removes the last barriers towards a CMOS ASIC-like business model for optics, we are a step closer to delivering next generation IP networks that are even lower cost and more scalable than today’s. Ericsson’s 4G IP portfolio will benefit from this pioneering technology in the coming years.

This is a quantum leap forward in the level of photonic integration, and represents a key missing piece of the silicon photonics puzzle, moving the laser in-chip and delivering a truly single chip solution”, stated Stephen Krasulick, Founder and CEO of Skorpios Technologies, “Skorpios was founded on the premise of making the world’s highest performance silicon photonic devices. The demonstration of the narrow-linewidth, tunable laser is just the first example of a class of devices that STAB enables. Products based on Skorpios’ STAB platform offer an order of magnitude cost reduction. Not only does this enable for the first time WDM solutions to be deployed within the data center, but also dramatically reduces the CapEx requirements for long-haul and metro communication networks.

Products based on Skorpios' STAB platform offer an order of magnitude cost reduction compared with previous, equivalent performance lasers, Skorpios said. The laser means that for the first time wavelength-division multiplex (WDM) can be deployed within the data center and it will also reduce the cost of implementing long-haul and metro communication networks, said Stephen Krasulick, founder and CEO of Skorpios Technologies (Albuquerque, New Mexico), in a statement.